Georges carette



(No Model.)

G. OARETTE. TOY.

No. 435,796. Patented Sept. 2, 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGES OARETTE, OF NUREMBERG, GERMANY.

TOY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 435,796, datedSeptember 2, 1890.

Application filed May 14, 1890. Serial No. 351,755. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGES OARETTE, a citizen of the State of Bavaria,Germany, residing at Nuremberg, Bavaria, Germany, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Toys; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

The toy which forms the subject of this invention represents a humanfigure carrying in its hands a balancing-pole, and imitates themovements of a rope-dancer as it walks down in an inclined plane,continually swinging to and fro. A special motive power is not neededfor producing these movements, its own weight and the weight of thebalancing-pole being utilized for the purpose.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side view, and Fig. 2 afront View, of the improved toy. Figs. 3 to 7 represent severalpositions of the legs of the figure during two steps. Figs. 8 and 9 showthe device for attaching the legs. Figs. 10 and 11 show specialpositions of the legs.

In the lower part of the trunk of the figure, which is denoted by A inthe drawings, is soldered a frame I), Figs. 8 and 9. This frame isdivided into two compartments separated from each other by a partition,and it is traversed by a pin 0. From the pin are suspended the two legsa and a, the said pin being passed through a loop formed by the piece ofsheet metal, of which one-half of each leg consists. A sure guide isthus obtained for the legs, which can turn backward and forward, butcannot pass laterally from their position. The soles of the feet d d ofthe figure form arcs of a circle the center of which coincides with thepivot for the legs. These feet are soldered in the lower part of thelegs, so that they are covered on their sides, Fig. 1, and have theappearance of ordinary feet. The figure carries in its hands abalanoingpole e, made of wire and bent downward, so as to form a largearch, the pole being of such length that the center of gravity of thewhole will be at a certain distance below the figure. This pole cannotbe displaced in the hands, and it imparts to the figure a swingingmovement if pulled to one side. The inclined plane on which the figurewalks down is formed by the plate f of the frame B. The feet g of thisframe are pivoted to the board and can be folded underneath the latter,so as to enable the whole frame to be easily packed.

In order to cause the figure to walk, it is so placed upon the inclinedplane that it has its face turned downward, and the balancingpole isdrawn a little to one side. This, however, is not necessary in mostcases, as extremely small oscillations of the balancingpole, which takeplace of themselves, will set the figure in motion. The figure thenswings from one side to the other, puts one footalternately before theother, and steps slowly forward. The several positions which the legsthen occupy are shown in'Figs. 3 to 7. Fig. 3 shows the legs at thebeginning of a step. The figure stands upright and is about to inclineto the right-hand side. The center of gravity 1' of the trunk isvertically below the pin e. The legs also stand upright. The right footd touches the plane at a point of the heel. The left foot d touches itat the toe. When the figure inclines to the right-hand side, the foot dis raised a little and the foot d bears the whole weight of the figure.As the soles of the two feet constitute arcs of a circle which has forits center the pin 0, and as the weight of the trunk of the figure andof the balancing-pole rests upon this pin, the foot d rolls forward,while the foot d falls forward. In these movements the trunk alwaysremains in an upright position, and the center of gravity moves with thepivot for the legs downward parallel with the inclined plane. \Vhen thefigure has inclined to its extreme position on the right-hand side, thelegs occupy approximately the position indicated in Fig. 4. The foot (Ztouches the inclined plane with its middle part, and the foot d hangsvertically by the side. In the further movement the legs will then passto the position shown in'Fig. 5, inasmuch as the foot d continues toroll and the foot (1 continues to fall to the vertical position. The newposition is the converse of that shown in Fig. 3. The foot (1 standswith the toe upon the inclined plane and the foot (1 with the heel. Astep has then been completed, and the figure now begins the samemovement to the other side in order to return to the first position Fig.7. This play is repeated until the figure has arrived at the lower partof the inclined plane, because under the action of the balancing-pole itwill swing to and fro for a comparatively longtime. In case the figureis well made, the movements, owing to the balancing-pole, will besufficiently regular. The velocity can be regulated by changing theinclination of the plate, only a very slight inclination being requiredfor causing the figure to advance slowly.

In order that the steps shall not be longer than corresponds to thereality, the legs and the frame b are made of such form that the legswill come in contact with the frame after they have turned through asuitable distance. If the figure is caused to oscillate through a longdistance, it can during the forward movement occupy, for example, theposition shown in Fig. 11, wherein the upper part of the leg a hastouched behind and the upper part of the leg at in front, and whereinthe center of gravity of the figure, which now constitutes, with the lega, a whole, is not verticallybelow the pin 0, but vertically below thepoint or toe of the foot (Z.

By providing a stop for the legs the figure is prevented from fallingeither quite to the front or quite to the rear. If the figure is, forexample, put up in such a manner that both feet are side by side, itwill occupy the position indicated in Fig. 10.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my saidinvention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare thatwhat I claim is A toy consisting of a figurehaving pivoted legs, feetforming arcs of circles struck from the pivot of the legs, andforwardly-projecting arms carrying a rigidly-attached and archedbalancing-rod projecting downward below the feet to place the center ofgravity below the figure, substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

GEORGES CARETTE. Witnesses:

SIEGMUND MoRZ, LEONHARD LANG.

